The Kandings: A Study on Sex for Drugs in Iligan City
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2024.0290Keywords:
Drug use, Sex work, Social exchange, KandingAbstract
Drug addiction in the Philippines is still rampant and widely perceived to be the root of poverty, injustice, and powerlessness (Simbulan et al., 2019). This phenomenon gave rise to a multifaceted, overlapping problem. One of these issues is the practice of exchanging sex for drugs, which led to the emergence of Kandings. This study dwells on the case of Iligan City. Drawing concepts from the social exchange theory of George Homans and utilizing a qualitative case study, ten key informants were interviewed through snowball sampling, aged 16 and older. Findings shed light on the origins of the term Kanding as perceived by the informants, a term they believed had its roots primarily in the existence of illegal drug trading in Iligan City. Moreover, the informants represent a disadvantaged group with limited resources, which explains the reasons they manifest experiences as reflected in the typologies of Kanding, mainly the sex for drugs Kanding, the Kanding as an intimate partner, the Kanding as a sex worker, and the Kanding for self-gratification. Despite challenges, including stigma, unresolved transactions, and the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections, they engage in this behavior to obtain access to illegal drugs and earn money with drug users as their typical sexual partners. However, the informants maintained their optimism, wanting the best for their families, their children's success, and their strong faith in God to support them in overcoming these challenges.
Downloads
References
Baseman, J., Ross, M., & Williams, M. (1999). Sale of sex for drugs and drugs for sex: An economic context of sexual risk behavior for STDs. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 26(8), 444–449. https://doi.org/10.1097/00007435-199909000-00005
Boyce, C., & Neale, P. (2006). Conducting in-depth interviews: A guide for designing and conducting in-depth interviews for evaluation input. Pathfinder International.
Boyer, C. B., Greenberg, L., Chutuape, K. S., Walker, B. C., Monte, D., Kirk, J., & Ellen, J. M. (2016). Exchange of sex for drugs or money in adolescents and young adults: An examination of sociodemographic factors, HIV-related risk, and community context. Journal of Community Health, 42(1), 90–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-016-0234-2
Braine, N., Van Sluytman, L., Acker, C. J., Friedman, S. R., & DesJarlais, D. C. (2010). Money, drugs, and bodies: Examining exchange sex from multiple perspectives. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 22(4), 463–485. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2010.491755
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Slang. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/slang
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches (2nd ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.
Crossman, A. (2020, January 14). Understanding social exchange theory. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/social-exchange-theory-3026634
Duria, J. J. (2021). Being left behind: Phenomenological experience and narratives of sex workers in rural Philippines amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4188198
Edwards, J. M., Iritani, B. J., & Hallfors, D. D. (2006). Prevalence and correlates of exchanging sex for drugs or money among adolescents in the United States. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 82(5), 354–358. https://doi.org/10.1136/sti.2006.020693
Homma, Y., Nicholson, D., & Saewyc, E. M. (2012). A profile of high school students in rural Canada who exchange sex for substances. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 21(1), 29–40.
Human Rights Watch. (n.d.). Philippines’ war on drugs. https://www.hrw.org/tag/philippines-war-drugs
Kaestle, C. E. (2012). Selling and buying sex: A longitudinal study of risk and protective factors in adolescence. Prevention Science, 13(3), 314–322. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-011-0268-8
Lasco, G. (2017). Call boys: Drug use and sex work among marginalized young men in a Philippine port community. Contemporary Drug Problems, 45(1), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091450917742052
Legarde, L. M. (2023). Sex industry: Analysis of sex work and sex workers in Zamboanga City, Philippines. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4522224
Lune, H., & Berg, B. L. (2017). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (9th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
Marvasti, A. B. (2004). Qualitative research in sociology. Sage Publications Ltd.
McNeal, B. A., & Walker, J. T. (2015). Parental effects on the exchange of sex for drugs or money in adolescents. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 41(4), 710–731. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-015-9313-7
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (n.d.). Sex worker. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sex%20worker
Mondino, A. (2010, December 15). Lawmakers move to decriminalize prostitution. House of Representatives. https://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=4676
Nerlander, L., Handanagić, S., Hess, K. L., Lutnick, A., Agnew-Brune, C., Hoots, B., Braunstein, S., Glick, S. N., Higgins, E., Padgett, P., Schuette, S. M., Broz, D., Ivy, W., Smith, A., Thorson, A., & Paz–Bailey, G. (2020). HIV prevalence among women who exchange sex for money or drugs—4 U.S. cities. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 84(4), 345–354. https://doi.org/10.1097/qai.0000000000002362
Orchard, T., Salter, K., Bunch, M., & Benoit, C. (2020). Money, agency, and self-care among cisgender and trans people in sex work. Social Sciences, 10(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10010006
Parker, J. (2004). How prostitution works. In R. Whisnant & C. Stark (Eds.), Not for sale: Feminists resisting prostitution and pornography (pp. 3–14). Spinifex Press.
Redmond, M. (2016). Social exchange theory. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317730132_Social_Exchange_Theory
Reid, J. A., & Piquero, A. R. (2013). Age-graded risks for commercial sexual exploitation of male and female youth. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(9), 1747–1777. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260513511535
Ritchie, H., Arriagada, P., & Roser, M. (2022, June 26). Opioids, cocaine, cannabis, and other illicit drugs. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/illicit-drug-use
Simbulan, N. P., Estacio, L. R., Dioquino-Maligaso, C., Herbosa, T., & Withers, M. (2019). The Manila declaration on the drug problem in the Philippines. Annals of Global Health, 85(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.28
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes. (2023, June 2). East and Southeast Asian synthetic drug supply remains at extreme levels and diversifies. https://www.unodc.org/roseap/2023/06/regional-synthetic-drugs-report-launch/story.html
Urada, L. A., Strathdee, S. A., Morisky, D. E., Schilling, R. F., Simbulan, N. P., Estacio, L. R., & Raj, A. (2014). Sex work and its associations with alcohol and methamphetamine use among female bar and spa workers in the Philippines. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 26(2), 138–146. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539512471969
Van De Walle, R., Picavet, C., Van Berlo, W., & Verhoeff, A. P. (2012). Young Dutch people’s experiences of trading sex: A qualitative study. Journal of Sex Research, 49(6), 547–557. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2011.618955
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
